A New Beginning
by temporal chronicler
Summary: Five years after weirdmageddon, Dipper and Mabel are finally able to return to Gravity Falls, but things aren't the same as before. Now a busy tourist destination, Gravity Falls seems to be inviting strange new people and new dangers. Can Dipper and Mabel save Gravity Falls again with the help of their friends or will they succumb to the darkness ahead? (violence, sex, vulgarity)
1. chapter 1

**Hi everyone. The story takes place after the show ended. I have written before, but this is the first time i've put a story online for people to read, so cunstructive critisism would be appreciated. I also, dont really write in third person, so this is a bit of practice... hopefully it goes well... enjoy.**

 **CHAPTER 1**

Dipper sat at the back of the bus, with his head against the glass, mindlessly staring out at the passing trees. He let out a sigh and adjusted his head so that his hand supported his chin. The scruff of hair on his chin made his palm a little itchy, but his mind was elsewhere.

It's been five years since wierdmageddon and he hasnt been back since. Not from lack of trying, but life had just gotten in the way. He and Mabel have been keeping in contact with everyone from Gravity Falls, but unlike Mabel, his correspondence had become far and few between as the time went on.

Mabel shuffled in her seat next to him. He glanced over and noticed she had fallen asleep, resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled and turned back to the scenery outside.

The first summer after Bill's defeat, they had tried to go back but their parents had signed them up for summer camp and then a family vacation. The summer after that, he was stuck in summer school after missing a few months of classes from injuries sustained in a failed science experiment. Mabel had stayed home to help care for him half the time so she ended up in summer school as well.

The next year, Dipper had gotten accepted into a summer internship at a research facility in Egypt and was encouraged to go by his family and friends. Mabel tagged along as well, bring one of her old highschool boyfriends along.

Mabel was always good at getting guys to go out with her. She was captain of the cheer squad in highschool and her positive attitude always caught guys offguard as she dragged them into relationships that never seemed to end well...for them.

Dipper had tried the relationship thing, but found he couldnt connect well with people in that regards. His past and the secrets he kept, kept him distant from anyone but his sister, even his parents.

The summer following his junior year, he was suppose to go back but his parents forced him and Mabel to get jobs. It was then that they decided to go back to Gravity Falls after graduation.

He smiled at the thought of everyone's reactions when they tell them the good news.

The bus continued down the road for a ways before beginning to slow down. He saw the old rail bridge go over head add he looked out the window.

Dipper looked over at his sister and nudged her awake.

She sat up in her seat and tried her best to stretch while remaining seated. She had her hair pulled back into a pony tail that ran through the back of a baseball cap.

The cap was purple with image of a shooting star on it. She made it shortly after leaving Gravity Falls in contrast to Dipper's hat so they could match, forgetting that Dipper's hat was still in Gravity Falls. She wore jeans and a colorful pink shirt with an image of waddles on it and a purple jacket over that.

"Are we there yet?" she asked. As she yawned, I was reminded of how she used to have braces the last time we were here. Now her teeth were straight and metal free.

"Almost." Dipper said calmly, giving himself a little stretch as well.

The bus continued to slow down before finally pulling to a stop. Last time they were here, the bus stop was no more than a simple post and a bench, but now they seemed to have pulled into a full bus station. As he looked out the window, he could see the spaces for other busses, but were empty.

 _Tourism really must have picked up._ Dipper thought as he stood.

The row in front of them was overflowing with bags and he tried his best to grab what he could, putting two backpacks over each shoulder and carrying three full duffel bags. It was a little awkward to carry but he had gotten stronger over the years so they didnt seem too heavy. Mabel picked up two backpacks as well and two duffels which she carried under each arm with trouble.

Dipper followed behind Mabel as they left the bus and walked into the bus station. Not two seconds after walking through the doors, Mabel dropped the duffel bags, screaming, and ran forward.

"Damn it, stop screaming and help me." Dipper said as he tried to awkwardly pick up the other duffel bags.

"How 'bout I help ya, Dipper?" a voice came from nearby.

Dipper looked up to see a tall man with a heavy set body. The man was wearing cargo shorts and a familarly large green shirt.

"Soos!" Dipper said dropping his bags and giving the large man a hug. Soos was still taller than Dipper but only by a few inches.

"Ah, its good to see you, dude." Soos said, picking up two of the duffel bags with ease.

"Definitely!" came another voice from behind Soos. Dipper looked to see Wendy standing there in a brown flannel, wearing his old hat.

"Wendy!" Dipper said as she gave him a hug. Dipper couldnt help but get a little red as her breasts squezzed against his chest. After a moment, she finally released him and Dipper really took a look at her.

She looked almost the same as before. Same height, hair, clothe style; but now he began to notice that her breasts were a bit bigger and her face had a stronger jaw line and larger cheek bones, giving her a more mature look.

She took his old hat off of her head and took her old hat, which dipper had decided at the last minute to wear, and switched them out, setting his hat back on his head and her hat on her own head.

"There." she said with a smile.

"So, do we all get to say hi or are we just to old?" a grisly voice came. Dipper looked over to see Stan and Ford, dressed in their usual attire, being flocked by cheerful girls...sorry, women, as Dipper noticed that Candy and Grenda had also grown up.

Candy was about the same height as Mabel, with her long hair rolled into a bun on the back of her head. He also noticed that her slender frame held a pair of breasts that seemed to big for the skinny girl. They were in no way as big as Wendy's but were a lot bigger than he would have thought.

Grenda, on the other hand, turned into a monster of a woman. She was much taller now and even seemed bigger than Soos. Her once round body, had been resculpted to produce the slightest accent of curves. Her large breasts and ass adding to her heavy set body to give her more curves. She looked more like a large viking woman than anything he was normally used to seeing in California. Which seemed like an accurate analogy as he knew she was probably more muscle than fat anyhow.

But there was one more person he didnt recognise. She was a beautiful woman who wore simple jeans and a blouse. She had long blonde hair that seemed to naturally flow to a ponytail rather than being pulled back. She had large breasts, about the size of Wendy's, and a round ass to match. She was hugging Mabel with excitement and he continued to wonder who she was.

Picking up the bags, he walked over to the group with Soos and Wendy in tow, who was now also holding two bags.

"Come here, you." Stan said as he grabbed Dipper into a one armed hug, causing him to nearly drop the bags.

"It's good to see you, Dipper." Ford said as he also hugged Dipper.

"Its great to see you guys too. Sorry I haven't talked to you guys in a while." Dipper said apologetically as he readjusted his hold on the bags.

"It's ok. We know your busy. Your parents have been keeping us up to date." Ford said.

"Its...good to see you." The mysterious blonde said sheepishly. At hearing her voice Dipper finally realized who it was.

"Pacifica?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course, dork." she responded, gently punching him in the arm. He was about to respond, when Grenda began talking. Her voice was still gravely, but it was somehow more afeminate than it was before.

"Oh! We have to hurry back before it melts." She shouted as she basically picked up Mabel and headed to the door.

Not knowing what she was talking about, Dipper followed her, along with everyone else, out to the parking lot, where Soos' pick-up was parked.

We loaded the bags into the back and climbed in. Soos drove with the Stan twins in the cab and the rest of us piled on top of the bags in the bed.

Candy, Mabel and Grenda sat on one side and Wendy, Dipper and Pacifica on the other respectively.

"It really is good to have you back." Wendy said as she leaned against the back of the cab.

The ride consisted of everyone catching up and sharing what they've been up to. Candy and Grenda have been working for Wendy, who quit her job at the Mystery Shack to start a land allocation subsidiary of her father's lumber company in order to help the magical creatures live peacefully and out of sight of tourists. After the defeat of Bill, the creatures hostile nature subsided and their numbers started to grow over the years requiring some management of the forest.

Soos had moved out of his grandmother's house and into his own with his wife Melody, and is the current manager and operator of the Mystery Shack.

After two straight years of traveling, Stan and Ford decided to head back to Gravity Falls with a new found kinship and 3 more journals worth of information to analyze. Ford explained how Gideon became his new assistant after expressing interest in the unknown and Stan talked about how he was enjoying retirement and living off of a business he didnt have to run.

Pacifica was a bit hesitant about sharing her past, but after some pleading from Mabel, she began to talk. After her family was left broke, her parents dragged her away to Washington where her father tried to rebuild his fortune. Her daily life sounded like hell as she talked about her father holding her under lock and key all the time. However, after two years she finally ran away, and later discovered that her father disowned her and took her out of the family inheritance. She had made her way back to Gravity Falls, where she now works at the Mystery Shack and lives in Soos' old breakroom after Stan and Ford decided to take her in.

With everyone sharing stories, the trip back to the shack went by in no time. Pulling up in the Shack's parking lot...yes there is a parking lot now, although its no more than a dirt clearing with logs to indicate parking spaces...they got out and started to unload the truck.

"I got the attic all set up for you two, just like it was." Stan said, feeling a little pridefull.

"WE, Stanley. WE got the attic set up." Ford corrected him. There was alittle chuckling and everyone went inside.

Dipper and Mabel took their bags upstairs while everyone gathered in the family room. Mabel threw her bags on her bed and turned to leave but Dipper sat down on his bed looking around the room. Mabel stopped walking.

"Arent you coming?" she asked.

"Yeah, in a minute. I just want to...unpack...a little." he responded without looking at her. She shrugged and walked out the door.

Dipper laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

 _It seems like its been an eternity since ive been here and yet a day at the same time...like its all just a dream._ He thought to himself.

He took a deep breath as memories of that summer came flooding back. The adventures, the danger, but most importantly the good times. The moments when he was having fun. He smiled at these memories.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door that jarred him from his reverie.

"Come in." he called without moving. He heard the door open and lifted his head to see Pacifica...the last person he was expecting it to be.

"Everyones waiting for you down stairs. Mabel says you guys have some sort of surprise but she wont say untill you come down...Plus, there's a god awful amount of cake that Grenda made." she said smiling. Dipper smiled back and sat up.

"I was just reminiscing about the last time I was here." He said. Pacifica moved over to the bed and sat next to him.

"Yeah, that...was a long time ago." she said. "but it was a fun summer."

"Yeah...we almost died." he said light heartedly.

"There were good times too." she said. "Like...when you stopped that ghost from destroying my house, or when you let me join you guys to stop Bill...whos only gone thanks to you." she says adding that last part to cover her growing blush.

"If I recall, you were the one that vanquished the ghost." Dipper said putting his hat on the bed and turning to look at her.

It was then that Dipper really saw her, Pacifica, as beautiful and not just because the top of her blouse was unbuttoned showing off a bit of cleavage. He blushed and kept his eyes on her face.

"I never properly thanked you for that night, though." she said, her blush growing.

"You did hear what I just said, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, but...if it wasnt for you, i'd have never stood up to my parents and I wouldnt be free of their control." she said. "You...saved me in a way you'd never understand."

"Again that was all you. You were brave then and still are if you made it here on your own." he said refering to when she talked about her past. "You were..."

"Shut up, loser." She said as she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. Surprised, Dipper just sat there letting her kiss him. He could feel her blushed cheeks heat up his, which were now reddening as well. When he didnt recipricate the kiss, she stopped and pulled away.

"Anyway...thanks." she said, downcasted and a little shamed. She stood to leave and headed towards the door. "The others are waiting. You should come down." She said before disappearing through the doorway.

Still sitting there confused, he tried to process what just happened and what he was feeling. He obviously wasnt expecting this, but what surprised him more, were the new feelings for her that were rising up within him.

"DIPPER!" Mabel called from downstairs. Her voice jarred him from his thoughts and he desended the stairs to join the party.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Dipper descended the stairs and entered the family room. Everyone seemed to be gathered by the side of the room, next to where it connected to the kitchen. Looking through the crowd, he could see Grenda's cake.

 _Pacifica was right, that is a_ _lot_. Dipper thought as he saw the cake sitting on the table in the kitchen. The cake rose to about head level, _easily two feet maybe more._

Looking around, Dipper noticed Pacifica at the far end of the crowd. Her head was tilted down slightly and she avoided eye contact. Dipper helt a pain in his chest at seeing how much he must have hurt her.

"There you are. You sure took your time." Mabel said as she walked over to him.

"Yeah, sorry." he said as he changed his attention.

"So whats this news? You got us in suspense." Candy said and everyone agreed.

"Ok. the surprise is..." Dipper started to say.

"We're moving to Gravity Falls." Mabel finished.

"Permanently." Dipper added. For an entire second everyone was quiet and then all at once, everyone started to cheer and rushed over to hug Dipper and Mabel again.

"Now aint that dandy." a voice said from behind. Dipper turned around to see a man, with platinum hair slicked back and wearing a blue suit, standing in the entry way.

"Oh good, you made it." Ford said. "Did you finish the..."

"Yep." Gideon said cutting him off. "Well, it sure is nice to see you two again."

"You two." Mabel said as she gave him a quick hug and turned to face the others.

"Ok...Well, I heard there was cake?" Dipper said, also turning back to the crowd.

"CAKE!" Grenda bellowed. We followed her into the kitchen and squeezed together to stand around the massive cake. Grenda picked up a knife and handed it to Mabel.

"You should have the honors, Mabel." Grenda said. Mabel took the knife and was about to cut the cake when an idea popped in her head. She set the knife down and turned to Dipper.

"I think you should do it, Dipper. You can even show off your...you know...your thing." she said, nudging him.

"I dont think thats a good idea." He said, crossing his arms.

"Come oon. Please...bro, bro?" she said using her child voice and puppy eyes. He let out a sigh.

"Fine. I guess its about time I showed everyone anyway." He said.

"Show us what?" Wendy asked.

Dipper extended his arms and began rolling up his sleeves exposing numerous tattoos that ran up his arms and dissapeared behind his clothing. Everyone was startled to see him with tattoos, but it was Ford who spoke first.

"Are those what i think they are?" Ford asked, trying to get a closer look.

"Yep, there sigils and symbols magically imbued with fairy dust tattoo ink." Dipper explained.

"So, thats why you were asking me about protective charms." Ford said.

"What do they do?" Wendy asked.

"Well, along with protecting my body from magic, they also allow me to cast magic with ease." Dipper said. "Just a cool thing I learned when I fell into a tomb in Egypt."

Closing his eyes, he began to bend his fingers and wave his arms in front of him. As he did, magical symbols of light began to appear in front of him. He moved his arms some more and the symbols flew into a circle above the cake, with lines that ran across it. He took a deep breath and lowered his arms. As he did, the circle descended on the cake, evenly cutting it into peices.

Grabbing some plates, Mabel held them out, as each slice was magically lifted onto each plate. When he was done, the table was covered in plates that each held a piece of cake in additon to everybody holding one. Releasing the spell with a sigh, Dipper pulled his sleeves back down and grace a piece of cake, as everyone stared in silence rather than eat.

"Well that could have been useful against Bill." Ford said. Everyone turned and glared at him. "What?! I'm sure you were all thinking that."

"Its ok." Dipper said taking a bite of the cake. It was sweet and delicious. "Thats why I did this in the first place. In case he ever returns...or something else threatens to destroy the world."

Soon everyone began eating their cake and conversations went back to normal.

After a while, Dipper noticed a shadow leave the crowd of people and turned to see Pacifica leaving the family room.

"Did she seem upset to you?" Mabel said, coming up behind him, when she noticed him watching her.

"I think she's just feeling sick." Dipper lied. "We should let her rest." Mabel nodded in agreement and went back to talking to Grenda and Candy.

Dipper sat on the couch away from everyone, thinking about what happened upstairs. Occasionally he talked about his new powers and his adventures, but he felt himself constantly going back over what happened in his mind.

After a couple hours went by people began to leave. First Wendy and Gideon, then Grenda and Candy and finally Soos left after recieving a call from Melody.

Ford eventually went to his lab, which he extended to include a small living area he considers his bedroom, and Stan went to bed after cleaning up the mess of the party, which he was mad at his brother for not helping.

"We're finally back." Mabel said, leaning back against the couch.

"And we're here to stay." Dipper said back.

"I just hope we can finally sit back and enjoy the small things without worrying about some stupid mystery or WORLD ENDING CRISIS." she said sarcastically with jaz hands.

Dipper laughed a little and relaxed his body as he leaned back into the couch.

"Well, i'm pretty tired. I'm gonna head to bed." she said. She hugged Dipper goodnight and ascended the stairs to the attic.

Dipper continued to sit there and tried to think of a way to talk to Pacifica. He knew he had to make things right, but he couldnt figure out what to say. He was never good at the whole, expressing ones feelings, thing.

He stood and decided to go to bed but stopped outside Pacifica's door. He stood there for a moment thinking about what he should say. He raised his hand to knock on the door but decided against it. Letting out a sigh he turned around and ascended the stairs. He fell onto his bed and fell asleep almost immediately, not realising how tired he really was.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"BREAKFAST!" a grisly voiced bellowed through the shack.

Dipper rubbed his eyes as he sat up in bed. He looked around the room, which looked different. He nearly jumped from shock at the change in enviroment, but then remembered he was in Gravity Falls, not California.

 _Right, im in the Shack._ He thought to himself as he stood up to stretch.

Looking back at his bed, he was surprised again to see the covers were still made, although a little loose, and then remembered that he had fallen asleep right away. Yawning he looked over at Mabel's bed, but it was empty and the sheets were made and pulled tight. Realising, she must have gotten up earlier, Dipper decided to change into new clothes and threw his dirty ones into a pile at the foot of his bed, to be taken care of later.

Choosing a slim black v-neck, he slipped it over his head and pulled on another pair of jeans. Grabbing his grey jacket, he slipt it on as he walked to the kitchen.

Once he was there, he found Mabel sitting at the table eating pancakes with Ford reading a newspaper next to here. Stan stood next to the stove and flipped a pancake as Dipper walked by.

"Grab yourself a plate. Their fresh off the skillet." Stan said as he flipped another pancake. Dipper grabbed a plate and stood next to Stan, as he flipped a pancake into the air. After two mid-air flips the pancake landed on the plate with ease.

"Ha-Ha. You see that, Mabel? I finally got one." Stan said with pride.

"Congradulations, Stanley. You scored a 1 out of 15." Ford said without looking up from his paper.

Dipper sat down next to Ford and gave Mabel a quizical look. She simply pointed up while finishing her pancakes. As Dipper looked up, he noticed many pancakes splattered on the ceiling.

"Hey, thats still one more than you, pal." Stan shot back before continuing his cooking. As Dipper ate, he realised that they were one short.

"Where's Pacifica?" Dipper asked without too much concern in his voice. Mabel looked up at him, but he shrugged as if to say 'I dont care, im just curious'. Taking the message, Mabel rolled her eyes and continued eating.

"Soos has her working mornings, so she usually gets up early." Stan explained. He then turned around with a plate of pancakes and set them on the table next to Dipper. "Do you mind taking these to her, I'm sure shes hungry."

"Sure." Dipper said after a short pause. He thought this would be a great excuse to talk to her, but made sure to hide his excitement and nervousness from the others. He picked up the plate and headed towards the gift shop.

 _What in the world am I even going to say to her?_ Dipper thought as he stood infront of the door to the gift shop. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked inside.

This was the first time he had seen the gift shop in five years. It was different, yet the same. Dipper noted that the merchandise was all pretty much the same but it seemed like there was more of it than last time. It took him a moment to realise the shop was bigger. It appeared that the front of the shop, leading outside, was extended an extra ten feet or so.

 _Probably because of the tourism increase._ He thought to himself.

Dipper looked around, taking in the changes when his eyes came across to Pacifica. She was sitting on a chair behind the counter. She was watching him when he came in, but when he turned his attention to her, she looked away and pulled out her phone.

Dipper swallowed his nervousness and walked up to her.

"What do you want, Loser?" she said brazenly.

 _Now thats the Pacifica I remember._ He thought to himself.

"I brought you breakfast. Courtesy of Stan." He said, setting the pancakes down in front of her.

"Thanks." she said hesitantly. Dipper continued to stand there trying to think of what to say.

"Well?" she asked. waiting for him to do something.

"About last night..." Dipper began.

"Just stop." Pacifica cut him off, her face turning bright red at the mention of her blunder. "Just forget about the whole thing."

"I cant." Was all he seemed to say.

"Look, I will pay you too forget, if thats what it takes to move on." she said, still not making eye contact. Now Dipper was getting annoyed that she didn't want to talk.

"With what money?" he asked, feeling defensive for no reason. With that, she nearly jumped out of her seat and glared as she got in his face.

"I may not be rich anymore, but I can still pay off your sorry ass!" she spat. Her face was mere inches away and she was pissed. He could tell he hit a nerve and didnt know what to do next. Overwelmed with mixed emotions his body seemed to move on its own as he closed the distance with a kiss on her lips.

The moment was brief and he could feel her breathing falter, but then she shoved him away.

"You Son Of A BITCH!" she shouted as she threw a pancake at him. Startled with her reaction, the pancake hit him in the face and fell to the ground without him so much as flinch.

"Pa-..." he reached out his hand, but she cut him off.

"Get out!" she said turning around and sitting back down in the chair, her eyes on her lap. "Get the Hell OUT!" she shouted without looking up.

Confused and embarressed, Dipper turned around and left the shop, glad that nobody else was here this early. As he walked back into the kitchen, Mabel, Stan and Ford were all looking at him.

"What was that about?" Mabel asked. Dipper didnt make eye contact as he walked past the table.

"Oh," he said pushing down his embarrassment and trying to put a light hearted inflection in his voice. "You know Pacifica...always looking for a fight." He trailed off that last part and picked up the pancake on his plate. "I'm going for a walk." He didnt wait for a response as he walked out the front door, nibbling on his pancake.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Dipper took the more scenic route as he walked into town. The route was longer but he wanted time to himself in order to move past what had just happened and deal with the emotions whirling inside him.

It was about a half hour before he finally got to town. As he walked down the street, he noticed how not much has changed. The buildings were the same, as were most of the businesses; There were a few he didnt recognise but nonot many. The statue of Nathaniel Northwest was removed and in its place was a fountain.

Dipper walked over to the fountain. It was of simple design and was full of coins. Heaving a sigh, he dug out a coin from his pocket and tossed it in, before walking away. As he left, he saw a plaque on the fountain and took a closer look.

Engraved on the plague were the words: "We shall never speak and never forget."

Dipper closed his eyes as he was filled with some of the more traumatic memories of that summer.

"Well, well. Look who it is. I heard you had finally come back." A voice said from behind Dipper.

He turned around and saw Robbie standing there holding a skate board. He looked very different but Dipper was still able to recognize him. He wore regular jeans that were a little loose on him. He still wore his signiture hoodie, but his face was a bit off. His hair was longer, going down to his shoulders and then coming up to his bangs across his ears. His skin had a darker complextion and he wasnt wearing any mascara. But what surprised Dipper the most was that he was smilling.

"Hey, Robbie." Dipper responded.

"What are you doing here alone? I would have thought mister popularity would be hanging with friends or family." Robbie said.

"Just reminiscing...and seeing how much the town has changed." he responded.

"Hey, i'm headed over to the mall parking lot to skate with the others. Why dont you come along? Im sure Thompson has an extra board." Robbie said cheerfully.

"Im good." Dipper said, not knowing if he should trust this new Robbie.

"hmm. Well, whatever it is your moping about, i'm sure hanging out with your old friends will help. Trust me." He put emphasis on that last part. He then grabbed Dipper by the arm and pulled him along until Dipper started following on his own.

After some time, they finally made it to the mall. The parking spaces closer to the building were full of cars, but the outer lot was completely empty except for a beat up van and a group of familiar people.

"Hey, look who I found sulking by the fountain." Robbie shouted over to them. They stopped what they were doing and turned to meet them.

"Well, if it isnt Dr Funtimes." Nate said. He looked very much the same, as did the others except Thompson, who looked skinnier, and Tambry, who had her hair up and out of her face as well as larger breasts but a seemingly smaller butt.

"Hey guys." Dipper responded. He still wasnt feeling like skating but he had decided that this would be a good distraction.

"Thompson. Board." Robbie called. A second later, a skate board flew through the air to be caught by Robbie.

"Here." He said, putting the board at Dipper's feet.

"I dont, actually know...how to ride." Dipper said nervously.

"Its ok. We'll show you, but give it a try anyway." Lee said.

Dipper did just that. He wasnt any good, but he had fun. He even forgot about Pacifica and what had transpired that morning.

The rest of the day was filled with skating, pizza, and mild tresspassing. At some point Wendy joined them and they continued to get into trouble. At one point they got chased by sheriff Blubs and deputy Durland, who didnt stand a chance of catching them. Eventually the sun starting going down and everyone began heading there own way; be it home, jobs or something else.

Dipper's phone rang in his pocket as he walked through the woods back to the shack.

"Where are you?" Mabel said as soon as he answered.

"On my way home." He responded.

"Well get here quickly." she said urgently. Dipper got worried.

"Whats wrong?" he asked, picking up his pace.

"Just get here." The she hung up the phone and Dipper ran back to the shack. " _Propero._ " He wispered under his breathe and casted a spell of stamina and speed. Nothing changed too much, but he was able to run a bit faster and longer without feeling the effects of a lack of oxygen or soreness in his legs.

He was able to make it back to the shack in record time. As he barged through the front door, he looked around for Mabel and or danger that might be lurking around.

"Mabel?" Dipper called out.

"In here" she responded from the family room. Dipper walked into the family room but was slightly shocked to find something he wasnt expecting.

In the center of the room, Mabel and Pacifica were on the ground playing with a little piglet. Its pink little body trying to run around but having trouble keeping up with the girls. Dipper rolled his eyes.

"Another pig? Thats the emergency?" Dipper said with annoyance. "Didnt you learn your lesson from last time?"

Mabel looked up with a sad expression as she remembered the unfortunate fate of Waddles.

"This will be different. For one, we arent in California." Mabel responded. Dipper let out a sigh and sat down on the couch as the aftermath of the spell caught up with him.

Dipper looked over at Pacifica. Her back was to him, so she didnt see him staring. He felt like he should say something but the last time that happened things only got worse.

Just then, Pacifica turned around as she followed the pig; she looked up at Dipper. There eyes met for a split second before he turned away to look at some nonexistent object at the otherside of the room.

Feeling the air begin to get heavy, Dipper forced his body to stand and he walked upstairs. Grabbing some clothes, he decided to take a shower.

He felt his body relax as the warm water poured down his body. He tried to push away any thoughts or feelings of Pacifica and just melt into the warmth and calm of the shower.

He lost track of time and eventually decided to get out. After getting dressed, he grabbed a soda from the fridge and climbed the ladder to the roof with one of his backpacks.

Sitting on the ledge on the roof, Dipper let out a sigh and took a sip of the soda. The sun was setting and the air was quiet.

He pulled some earbuds out of his pack, plugged them in and started listening to music. He then reached in an pulled out an electric latern, which he turned on and set aside, and an old book. The leather bound cover of the book was fraying and cracked in many areas. He opened the book to find the pages filled with latin inscriptions. Turning to a marked page, he took a sip of his soda and began reading.

After a little while, he felt the vibrations of someone climbing on the roof. He removed one earbud but continued to read.

"Go back inside, Mabel." He said without looking up from his book.

"Its just me." He turned around to see Wendy hop down next to him and take a seat on the ledge. "Whatcha doing up here this late?" she asked.

"Reading." He responded, turning back to his book. "What about you?"

"Eh, I was just in the neighborhood. Thought i'd come hang out with my best friend." she gave him a nudge as she said this, forcing him to lose his place. Letting out a sigh, he marked the page and closed the book.

"Why are you really here?" He asked bluntly, curious as to why she came out of her way to come here.

"Robbie told me about how he found you today. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." she explained.

"Im fine." He said. He kept his head slightly bowed and looked blankly into the forest.

"No your not." she said with an awkward smile. "I can tell when your arguing with yourself over something. You used do it all the time." He let out a sigh and waited a moment before continuing.

"How do you make it up to a girl you've pissed off?" he asked quietly.

"Well, i'm sure, whatever it was that you did. Mabel will get over it in a day or two. Shes just that kind of person." Wendy said, jumping to conclusions.

"Its not Mabel that I pissed off." He said turning a little red.

"Who?...Pacifica?" Wendy asked. Dipper didnt respond but continued to look at the book in his lap. "Pacifica is always quick to anger. Give her time and im sure she'll come down." she said.

"But its not some random burst of frustration...what I did..." He turned a dark red as he remembered what had happend and how it was going to be embarrassing to talk about.

"Dipper...what happened?" Wendy placed her hand on his shoulder and waited for him to feel comfortable enough to talk. "Well, what ever it was i'm sure you can just apologize and move on, right?" she continued, when he failed to speak.

"Its not that simple." he said.

"Then explain it." Dipper took a deep breath and told Wendy what happened. He told her what happened last night and what happened that morning.

"Wow." she said holding her breath. Dipper couldnt tell if she was genuinely concerned or if she was trying not to laugh. "That...is complicated. And...do you actually like her back?"

"Yes...No...I dont know. I hadnt really thought of her like that till last night."

"Well, insulting her probably didnt help." Wendy said with a light hearted tone.

"How was I suppose to know that she would be that sensitive, she always seemed superficial or calloused." Dipper said defensively.

"That was before. She's changed a lot." Wendy said. "And it sounds like she's contributed her change to you."

"That doesnt exactly make me feel any better." Dipper said. Wendy smiled at him and took a sip of his soda.

"Just try talking to her." Wendy said.

"Yeah, so I can get more food thrown into my face."

"Be upfront and tell her what you told me." Wendy said calmly. "Give her a reason to not be mad." Dipper took a breath and let out a long sigh.

"I guess your right." He said reluctantly.

"I know I am." She said cockily. After a silent moment, Wendy turned off his lantern and laid back to look up at the stars. Dipper coppied her and set his book down beside him.

A second later, Wendy reached over and grabbed his book. She opened it but couldnt make out the words.

"What is this? Another journal?" Wendy asked.

"Book of Spells." Dipper responded.

"Huh..." Wendy was about to say something when her phone vibrated. She took it out of her pocket and looked at the screen. "Crap. I gotta go." She said, standing up.

"I'll see you later, then." Dipper said, sitting up.

"Remember. Just try talking to her." With that she lept off of the roof, grabbing a tree on the way and fell to the ground unharmed. A second later the sound of an engine could be heard and Dipper watched as she drove off on a motorcycle.

With a heavy sigh, Dipper packed up his things and went back inside.

The mystery shack was dark and quiet with everyone in bed. Dipper decided to just get some sleep and went to his room. As he entered, he noticed Mable curled around the piglet on the floor. Dipper took a blanket from her bed and laid it on top of her. He then got into his own bed and went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Dipper woke with a start. A loud crash come from downstairs.

Getting out of bed, he looked around the room. Mabel was still curled up on the floor. The piglet, awake from the noise as well, was pushing up against Mabel for comfort and security.

Taking a few steps forward, he stopped and bit his lip with such force that blood began to well up in his mouth. He tried not to cry out. When he looked down, he saw one of Mabels earings sticking out of his foot. He removed it and used a small healing spell to get rid of the pain.

Not wanting to do that again, he pinched his fingers and flipped his hand over, opening his hand as he went. Suddenly a small floating ball of light appeared above his hand. Moving it over to his shoulder, he had it set to follow just beyond his peripherial vision so as not to blind himself with his own light.

Continuing the investigation into the sound, he descended the stairs. First checking the kitchen, then the family room. As he rounded the corner, the light illuminated shadows, making them move as he walked around. Deciding that it was empty, he moved onto the gift shop.

As he was walking into the gift shop, he almost collided with someone.

" _Impediendum_ " Dipper said reflexively, grabbing his hands and pushing forward. As the light illuminated the area, he realised it was Ford.

"Oh." He said letting out a breath he didnt know he was holding. "Its only you. What are you doing?" Dipper asked, but Ford didnt say anything. He didnt even move. "Oh, right. Sorry." Dipper said as he disbanded the spell with a wave of his hand.

Suddenly Ford began to move. He stretched his limbs and rolled his shoulder as he adjusted his glasses.

"Your reflexes with your magic are pretty good." Ford said.

"Yeah...what are you doing?" Dipper asked again.

"I was investigating a strange noise...it wasnt you, was it?" Ford asked.

"No. I was...doing the same." Dipper said looking around as if the origin of the noise would suddenly appear.

"Hmm...We should be careful just in case." Ford said. "Have you checked the bed rooms yet?"

"No...except maybe my own...unless what ever it is, slipped in after I left." Dipper rambled with exhaustion.

"I'll take that as a no, then." Ford said. "I'll head upstairs. You finish checking this floor." It was then that Dipper noticed he had his gun drawn.

"What should I be expecting?" Dipper asked, hoping Ford knew what was going on.

"I dont know...but we should be prepared for anything." Ford said as he turned and disappeared beyond the range of the light.

Dipper walked through the family room and began to search each room, starting with the meuseum.

All of the objects and wierd exhibits made strange shadows as Dipper's light moved past them. Having decided it was clear, Dipper left to search the rest of the rooms.

Dipper's next stop was the old storage room. As he entered the room, the floor creaked beneath him. He froze and listened for anyone. Hoping he didn't give himself away, he prepared a spell to cast and walked deeper into the room.

The room, which was empty the last time he was here, was now filled with stacks of boxes. Dipper carefully walked around each one.

Suddenly the floor boards by the door creaked and Dipper jumped out from behind some boxes to confront the intruder. However, the only thing he saw was a small sillhouette running out of the room.

"Stop!" Dipper instructed as he ran out of the room, only to colide with something solid and fall to the ground.

"Ouch! Watch it next time." Pacifica said.

Dipper looked up to see her, also on the ground, and rubbing her head. Standing, Dipper reached out his hand to help her up. After some hesitation, she accepted and he lifted her up.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she smoothed out her night gown.

"Helping Ford find an intruder, and I think it ran right by you." Dipper explained while he looked around. But whatever it was, was gone.

"Well, I cant see anything with that light in my face." she said as she tried to shield her eyes with her hands. Dipper used his hand to move the light above their heads.

"What are you doing up?" Dippers asked.

"I heard voices and noices so...I figured I'd take a look." She said. There was an awkward pause between them before Dipper desided to speak, but Pacifica beat him to it.

"Can...I help?" She asked hesitantly.

"...Sure." Dipper said, trying to think of what to say. He needed to talk to her about everything but didnt know how to start. They moved on towards the direction where Dipper thought he saw the intruder head.

"About earlier..." Pacifica said as she followed behind him.

"Yeah?" Dipper inclined softly.

"I just wanted to apologize for how I acted." She said. "It's just that...you shouldnt feel the need to humor..."

"Stanley, Please!" Ford's voice echoed through the shack, cutting Pacifica off.

"This way." Dipper said, leading her upstairs to Stan's room.

When they got there, they found Ford on the ground holding Stan in a headlock, while Stan flailed randomly.

"Dipper. Help me subdue Stan." Ford said as his hold began to slip. Dipper walked over to Stan and put his hands on his head.

" _Nocte Dormiunt_ " he said and suddenly Stan stopped moving. "That should at least keep him asleep till morning...what happened?"

"I came to check Stan's room and found him sleep walking into a wall. When I tried to move him to his bed, he attacked me." Ford explained.

"Has he done this before?" Dipper asked.

"Not that I know of, no." Ford said as he moved Stans body back to his bed. "I'll stay with him and make sure it doesn't happen again. Did you find out what woke us up?"

"No.. not exactly. I didn't get a good look at it and it got away, but it was small and fast." Dipper explained.

"Sounds like a gnome. Damn things like to raid the pantry." Ford said as he pulled up a seat by Stans bed. "But you guys should get some sleep."

"Alright...well, good night then." Dipper said as he left the room.

"Ok." Ford called back. As Dippper closed the bedroom door, he turned to Pacifica.

"Well...goodnight then." She said turning to leave.

"Wait." Dipper grabbed her shoulder. "What was it you were saying earlier?" She let out a sigh.

"I was just saying that it might be good to forget about the past couple days, and...be friends." She said adding that last part hesitantly. Dipper was utterly confused, but also too tired to think properly.

"Thats fine." He responded. Another silent moment passed between them.

"Well...goodnight." She said leaving before Dipper could say anything.

Dipper waited for her to leave before waking back into his room. He saw Mabel, still sleeping on the floor.

 _She could sleep through an earthquake._ He thought as he climbed back into bed. He disbanded the light spell and went to sleep.

. . .

Dipper awoke the next morning to the feeling of something crawling on his body. He opened his eyes to see the little piglet walking around on his chest.

"Ugh...MABEL!" He shouted as he got out of bed. Dipper picked the pig up and left the room. As he did he saw Mabel leaving Stan's room with a sad look.

"Its Stan." She said as she hugged him. He handed her the pig and walked into the room.

Inside, he found Ford and Pacifica standing by the bed. On it, he saw Stan, still asleep, wearing a device on his head.

"What's going on?" Dipper asked.

"Stan seems to have slipped into a coma." Ford said. Dipper walked over to the bed.

"Did you at least wait for the spell to wear off?" Dipper asked.

"You said it would last till morning." Ford said.

"Yeah?" Dipper responded.

"Its 11 o'clock." He responded. Dipper looked at the clock on the wall. Sure enough it read eleven.

"And your sure its a coma?" Dipper asked.

"Would you like to try and examine him." Ford said sarcastically. Ignoring his tone Dipper walked over to Stan and put his hands on his head.

" _Excito_ " Dipper said. He stood back and waited, but nothing happened.

" _Excito_ " Dipper repeated, trying it again, but still he didn't wake.

"What do you think happened?" Dipper asked as he gave up trying to wake Stan.

"Well, I can only think of two possibilities. This is either the result of when he regained his memories naturally rather than by reclaiming them...or..." Ford began.

"Its Bill." Dipper finished.

"Wait. You cant be serious." Pacifica said.

"Well, lets not jump to conclusions. I'll need a second opinion in this matter...Dipper, do you mind heading to the Northwest Mansion and getting Fiddleford? He could prove usefull since he invented the device." Ford said.

"Yeah, sure." Dipper answered, as he turned to to get ready. He changed his clothes and grabbed his jacket as he headed out the door.

. . .

The hike to the Northwest Mansion was longer than Dipper remembered. He used his magic to get there faster, but made sure to pace himself so that he didnt collapse from exhaustion when it wore off.

When he finally reached the mansion he knocked on the large doors. He could hear the sound echo within. After a minute, the doors opened and he was about to speak, but found himself hunched over and gasping for air.

"About time you showed up." He looked up to see Pacifica standing there holding a glass of what he assumed was lemonade.

"How did you get here?" Dipper asked between breaths. He didnt pace himself as well as he had thought.

"Its called a car." She said pointing to the Stan mobile in the he corner of the property. It was partially hidden by the wall, which was why Dipper had missed it on his way in. He palmed his face when he saw it.

"Although I have to admit you made good time...considering." She added. Still trying to get his breathing under control, he took the glass from her hand.

"Hey! Get your own!" She complained as he quickly downed the lemonade. Dipper then walked in past her. A servant in a suit approached and took the, now empty, glass from Dipper.

"Alright. I think I'm ready." Came a strange voice from above. Dipper looked up to see a strange man dressed in a brown suit and carrying a briefcase.

"McGucket?" Dipper asked.

"Thats m' name." McGucket said. He looked very different. He stood up straight with a corrected posture, his beard was trimmed down to about two inches and wore a toupee on his head. He also had a new pair of glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

"It sure has been a while, Dipper." He said as he came down the stairs.

"Definitely. Its good to see you doing so well." Dipper said as he walked over to greet McGucket.

"Now that we're all here, can we go?" Pacifica insisted as she stood by the door. Dipper turned to leave and McGucket pulled a bell from his pocket and used it to summon a servant. When the bell rang, Dipper saw Pacifica cringe and walk outside.

"We'll be in the car." Dipper said as he headed towards the door.

"Alright. I'll just be a moment." McGucket said.

Dipper walked outside and saw that Pacifica was already in the car. He walked over and got in the passenger side, while Pacifica sat in the driver's seat.

"Why did you come?" Dipper asked.

"Ford told me to take the car when he saw you go on foot." She explained quickly. Dipper could tell there was another reason as to why she came, and not Mabel, but he figured it would be better to not to ask.

Eventually McGucket came out to the car and they drove back to the shack.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

When they got back to the shack, Mabel was waiting outside on the old couch hugging her pig. As they drove up, she stood to greet them and led them to Stan's room.

When they walked in, Dipper noticed new machines and screens were hooked up to the device on Stan's head.

"What seems to be the trouble?" McGucket asked as he looked upon Stan.

"He hasnt woken up since last night and his nuerons are firing in a circuit. We were wondering if it has anything to do with him recovering his memories naturally?" Ford asked.

McGucket opened his briefcase and removed a laptop. This one looked similar to the old one, but was obviously newer. He took out a cord and hooked his laptop to the device on Stan's head.

"A circuit, you say? Hmmm...sounds like a memory loop." McGucket typed some keys then rubbed his chin. "It almost looks like a memory meld."

"A memory what?" Mabel asked in confusion.

"A theory that hasnt been proven." Ford said, annoyance dripping in his voice.

"Yet! If only we could see what he sees. A memory loop and a memory meld...This could be ground breaking." McGucket said excitedly with his old hillbilly laugh.

"Your loosing it, old friend. This is entirely theoretical and improbable." Ford explained.

"Says the man who spent thirty years, god knows where." McGucket turned back to his computer and typed some more keys. Ford huffed and crossed his arms.

"So what exactly is this memory...whatever?" Mabel asked again.

"A memory loop is when the mind replays memories constantly, and a memory meld is when the mind tries to recall memories but merges ones instead creating new memories that never happened. Theoretically, combining the two would cause an error in the way the brain processes information, resulting in an aneurysm, stroke, or...well...coma." Ford explained.

"How can we save him?" Mabel asked.

"Well, theoretically, if you could comune with him or bring him back to reality, he should wake up...the problem is, there isnt a way to do that." McGucket said.

"Wait! I know. Dipper! Remember when we went into Stans mind last time?" Mabel said excitedly.

"I was thinking that too, but I dont know that spell, and without the journals...McGucket, do you think you could make something?" Dipper asked.

"Its hard to say...I might be able to make somethin' to view his mind, but I dont know how to communicate with him." McGucket said sadly.

"Well, then its settled." Mabel announced. They looked at her confused. "McGucket and Ford will try a scientific way to help Stan. Dipper will look into a magic alternative and Pacifica and I will got to the mall." A large smile crossed her face with pride.

"Whats at the mall?" Pacifica asked.

"Supplies to make clothes for Tiny." she said, holding up the piglet. Everyone startled to chuckle and laugh at Mabels unexpected optimism.

"Well, you heard the lady. Lets get to work!" Ford said with a smile.

. . .

Dipper spent the whole day searching his spell book as well as other occult texts online or in the library.

He found many interesting new spells that he marked down to test later; as well as volumes of fictional spells and fake magic that made the search even harder.

"Here." Pacifica said as she handed him a plate with pizza on it.

"Uh..thanks." He said, taking a bite.

Dipper sat on the floor of the family room in front of with books and pages scattered about. He set the plate down and returned to his work.

"So...what's it like to have magic?" she asked trying to make sense of some of the papers.

"Its...useful. Imagine not having your cellphone...Thats how I remember life before magic. It's usefully convenient when needed...except now." He said tossing some papers to the side.

"And so these tattoos let you cast spells?" She asked taking a look at his arm.

"Not exactly. Technically anybody can cast spells. The tattoos just allow me to make short cuts, like not needing a ritual or, for some minor spells, I dont need to recite anything so long as I'm thinking of the spell I want to cast." He explained.

"Where did the spells and magic come from?" She asked.

"Whats with all the questions?"

"Just curious...but if you dont want the company i'll leave." She stood, making sure not to step on any pages.

"No...no. Its fine. I dont actually know where they come from. At some point someone probably started discovering the spells and recording them." He said holding up his spell book. Pacifica sat back down, this time a little closer.

"So could you make up your own spell?" Dipper laughed at her question. "And why is that funny?" She demanded.

"You cant just make up a spell." He said.

"Why not? Thats how these other spells got discovered isnt it? You keep trying till you find one that works."

"Because thats not...actually...yeah, that might work." Dipper began mubbling to himself and grabbing random pieces of paper.

"What is it?" She started to back up to give him room.

"Your a genius!" He said before running in the direction of Ford's Lab, leaving behind a blushing Pacifica.

Down in Ford's lab, Ford and McGucket were trying to build a device that would allow them to speak with Stan in his dream-state. The large room that once held the portal was now sealed behind thick walls of metal.

"I think I've figured it out." Dipper announced as he entered the lab. Ford and McGucket stopped what they were working on and turned to face him.

"I couldnt find a spell that could help us enter Stan's mind, but I might have found a way to link our minds together using multiple spells." He said excitedly.

"That could end very dangerously. Magic can be unstable if not used properly." Ford explained.

"But I'm sure this will work."

"Is there a way to test it?" McGucket said. The other two turned to him. "Machines are really more my specialty, but when Im working on something expiramental its always good of me to test before I actually use."

"Well, theoretically, it should..." Dipper started to say.

"Test it. Then we'll discuss using it." Ford said.

"Im just as much at risk for casting it as the recipient, I'm willing..."

"All the more reason to test it." Ford said.

"And if i don't survive the test? Ive didn't the past ten hours digging through real and fake spells, trying to find the one we need. This is as close as we're gonna get."

"Whether or not the spell works won't matter if he's dead. If we got one shot, we should take it. We've gotten by with worse." McGucket said. Ford looked back and forth between them before grunting in defeat.

"Fine." He said. "Is there anyway to increase the chance of success?"

"Fairy dust and volunteers. The more people helping the better...I think... but not too many... just to be safe." Super did as he reviewed the pages in his hands.

"Well I have some left over fairy dust and you got to volunteers upstairs." Ford said as he searched his work station for the jar of fairy dust. Finding it behind an old book, he tossed it to Dipper.

He walked over to Dipper and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just be safe and careful. I can't lose the rest of my family too." Dipper smiled before turning and heading upstairs.

. . .

Dipper sat next to Stan's bed alongside Mabel and Pacifica. He have each of them a coffee mug of sparkling liquid.

"What is this?" Pacifica asked.

"Uh... Just drink it and pretend it tastes good." They looked at him skeptically.

"Im not drinking this unless I know what it is." Pacifica said.

"Its fairy dust...and unicorn...sweat." Dipper said hesitantly. Pacifica looked like she was ready to throw up.

"Are you still gonna do this?" Dipper asked. She thought about it for a moment while staring into the cup.

"Yeah." She answered.

"All right then, ready?" Dipper asked. Each of the girls nodded and placed one hand on Stan's head and the other on one of Dipper's shoulders.

Placing his hands on Stan's face, Dipper closed his eyes and began to recite the spell.

" _Aperire Animo. Aperi Ianuam. Quasi Quatuor Sensibus. Aperire Ostium Mentis._ "

There was a slight tingling sensation and then nothing. Dissapointed, Dipper let out a sigh and a silent curse.

"Well, I guess that didnt..." He began, but, when he opened his eyes, he realised he was no longer in the shack. As he looked around, he also noticed that the girls were gone as well.

"Hello? Mabel? Pacifica? Grunkle Stan?" Dipper called out into the darkness.

"I'm afraid your all alone here." A deep voice cracked from the darkness.

Dipper tired to create some light but his magic want working.

"I'm afraid your magic won't work here." the voice said.

"Show yourself." Dipper demanded.

"Very well." Suddenly ceiling lights came on.

After becoming adjusted to the lights, he looked around to find himself standing in the hidden under ground bunker. Dipper turned around to come face to face with the shape shifter.

"Or would you prefer this form instead?" He said as he turned himself into a twelve year old version of Dipper.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Dipper jumped back at the sight of the shapeshifter.

"H-how did you escape?" Dipper asked, fearful without his magic.

"I didnt." The creature said with Dippers young voice. Only now did Dipper realize how much his voice had deepened. "But it is good to finally talk with you."

"What are you talking about?" Dipper asked as he frantickly looked around for a weapon; there was nothing.

"Dont tell me you dont recognize this place?" young Dipper said.

Dipper looked at his surroundings more carefully. It was the bunker but it was different.

The cryo tubes were all repaired and holding something inside, though it was too icy to see.

The lab area was gone and instead was a shelf that held four books: journals 1-3 and the spell book.

Off to the side he could see a couple doors at the entrance to one of the tunnels. The line of doors appeared to continue into the darkness of the tunnels.

"What is this place?" Dipper asked. Young Dipper let out a sigh and walked over to the cryo tubes.

"You tell me. You were the one to cast the spell after all." He explained. Then it occured to Dipper.

"This is my head?" Dipper asked.

"Finally! Took you long enough." He said.

"I need to find Stan. Its urgent!" Dipper said as he became less fearful.

"We'll get to that eventually, but lets talk about you first."

"What about me?" Dipper asked. Young dipper let out a sigh.

"Thats my point. You're in such denile about who you really are...inside." Young Dipper reached out and put his hand on one of the cryo tubes.

"What are you talking about?" Dipper was starting to get annoyed.

"Who are you?"

"What?"

"Who are you?" The young Dipper repeated.

"I'm Dipper. Dipper Pines."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Dipper Pines!"

"Who are you?" The young Dipper started to walk over closer to Dipper. His voice deepened every time he asked.

"I-I'm Dipper Pines." Dipper was starting to get confused. With every step his younger self took, he took one step back.

"Who Are YOU?" This time Dipper looked at his younger self. He didnt see anger or confusion on his face, instead, he was surprised to see fear and regret.

"I-I...dont know." Dipper said realizing what he was getting at.

"Explain!" The young Dipper demanded. Not out of anger but rather curiosity.

"I dont know who I am...Who I've...or will, become."

"Why?" This time there was only the innocent curiosity of an eight year old Dipper standing before him. "I thought you wanted to be like Gruncle Ford?"

"Life isnt always as straight forward as we want it to be." Dipper sat on the ground and little Dipper sat next to him. He smiled down on his younger self.

"All I wanted to do was solve the mysteries of Gravity Falls and be like Ford...But...sometimes we dont get that choice."

"But arent you back in Gravity Falls? You can continue to search for new mysteries and hang out with Gruncle Ford all the time!" He had wide eyes like the possibility amazed him.

"You're right. I do have that option...But there are other paths ahead I can choose from, and...well..they all have their appeals."

"But your heart is being torn between descisions that would be simple for your brain." Dipper smiled at the intelligence of his younger self, forgetting that its just a construct of his own head.

"Yeah, your right." Dipper said.

"Then lets make the descision here." As he said this, younger Dipper started walking back towards the cryo tubes, turning into twelve year old Dipper again.

"Why?" Dipper asked.

"Why!? Why list pros and cons? Why debate with yourself over your future? Why waste the time?." Young Dipper put his hand on one of the cryo tubes and it opened.

Instead of an empty tube, the door opened to reveal a portal. It stood there shimmering for a moment before an image appeared.

It was a room, dark, with tables ccovered in messes surrounding a man sitting at the far table. His back was turned to the portal, but he wore a grey duster and seemed deeply involved with what was on the table.

The heads of many monsters and mythical creatures lined the wall, as well as a few Nobel awards.

"Dinner's ready!" A voice called from out of view.

"Ok!" The man called over his shoulder, his voice was deep and sounded familiar to Dipper.

"Ford?" Dipper asked under his breath.

The clock on the wall began to speed up, but, aside from his arms, the man never moved. On the wall next to the clock was a torn picture of a man in a suit.

"I called you up to dinner hours ago!" Said a woman who walked into view. She was older and wore a red hand stitched sweater.

"I know, im sorry...but im so close. I can feel it." The man said.

"You need to take a break. I worry about you." The woman said, putting her hand on his shoulder. The man stopped what he was doing.

"I know...Im sorry, you're right. I-Is there still some food left?" He asked standing up.

"Of course there is. What kind of sister would I be if I let you starve." He gave her a hug.

"Thanks, Mabel. You're the best." She smiled and brushed his hair, revealing Dippers iconic birth mark.

"Yeah, well you better not forget it." she said as they both walked out of view.

"What was that?" Dipper asked his younger self.

"That was you. If you chose to follow in Ford's footsteps. By the look of things, you do pretty well for yourself." He smiled and moved to the next tube. "But it is only one possibility." With that the next tube opened revealing another portal.

The image was that of a log cabin. Humble furnishings decorated the house. The front door and a man and a woman entered, brushing snow off of their clothes.

The man was of a large build, reminding Dipper of the towns lumberjacks. The woman was smaller in frame but shared many of his features.

"Thats better." The woman said as she rubbed her hands together.

"I'm back!" The man called. Suddenly two kids came running around the corner.

"Daddy!" They shouted as they jumped into his arms. Both children had awburn hair that was much brighter than his dark brown.

"I hope the drive wasnt too bad. The snow seemed to have come out of nowhere." A woman said as she walked into view. She wore jeans and a simple blouse. She had bright red hair and although she was much older, Dipper realised who she was.

"It was fine." Mabel said as she hugged Wendy.

"I have dinner in the oven. Kids, go wash up." As Wendy spoke, the two kids ran back around the corner.

"Smells good." Dipper said as he hung up his coat. Suddenly the image froze.

"Thats nice and all, but a bit outdated, dont you think?" Young Dipper asked with a devilish smile. Dipper was going to ask what he meant but suddenly the image changed.

The people stayed where they were but other aspects of the image changed. The log cabin, turned into a refurbished entry way. Dipper shrank in size a bit and his clothes changed to that of a policeman's uniform. Wendy's proportions changed slightly and she went from having red hair to being a blonde.

"This seems to be a bit more realistic...doesnt it?" Young Dipper said. "But the point still stands. You need to chose."

Dipper looked at tbe two portals, trying to figure out shat this was about.

"Its not that hard. Chose one. Career or family?" Young Dipper said with impatience.

"Why not both?" Dipper said, as he had a hard time choosing but didnt want to show it. "Why cant I have a successful career and a family?" Young Dipper started laughing.

"Why? You know why. Even now, as you try and look for a way out without having to answer this question." He said as Dipper took a step back in surprise.

"You've been dodging this question, far too long. You need an answer. Now!" He said.

"I-I can..."

"Yes you can. Just choose. Career or Family?"

"I-..."

"Choose!"

"I..."

"CHOOSE!"

"I CANT!" Dipper finally said as he fell to his knees. "I cant." His heart seemed to tear itself in half whenever he considered one of the options. Young Dipper smiled.

"Then what good are you?" Dipper looked up at his younger self. "It might just be worthing taking option three." Young Dipper suggested as he reached behind his back and pulled out a gun, handing it to Dipper. Dipper took the gun and looked it over.

"You might not have to decide after all." Young Dipper said. Dipper tightened his grip on the gun as he fought back tears.

Raising his hand, he could feel the cold metal against his skin. With a deep breath, he pulled the trigger.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

As the gun went off, young Dipper's chest exploded outward in a mess of blood and guts.

"This is my life! I get to choose how it ends. If I want to have a family and investigate mysteries then thats what I'll do." Dipper said. Young Dipper laid on the ground, blood pooling fast around his body.

Then, he started to laugh. A horrendous laugh that sent a chill down Dipper's spine. The blood that filled his mouth would send him into a chocking fit every other breath, but still he laughed.

"You can try...but one of these days...one will need to take priority...over the other." He said through coughs. A devilish smile crossed his face as his body refused to move. After a few seconds the body, and blood, turned to ash and faded.

Dipper thought about what he said, but decided to push the thoughts away.

 _Gotta find the others._ He thought as he looked for an exit.

As soon as the thought entered his mind, a door appeared on the wall. A sign above it red: _exit_ in red letters.

He stared at the wall, wondering if it was a trap, but finding no other alternatives, he opened the door and stepped inside.

When he walked through the door, he found himself in the town center of Gravity Falls. Old Gravity Falls, he realized as he saw the statue of Nathaniel Northwest in the town square and the newer buildings were gone.

 _Just like it was_. He thought as he began walking around.

The entire town appeared to be deserted. A slight fog had settled around town, making it seem erie.

As he walked around, he had the weird feeling he was being watched but couldnt find anyone.

After wandering around, Dipper decided to head to the Mystery Shack.

As he left town, the fog began to lift and he noticed smoke rising from the Northwest mansion.

 _Pacifica!_ He thought as he changed directions and headed to the mansion.

The trip was shorter than it normally would be. It was like the mansion sat right next to the town. It didnt take him long to reach the front door.

He took a deep breath, clenching the gun in his hand, and stepped inside.

When he did, he wasnt surprised to see the inside of the mansion. Like when he was in Stan's mind, all those years ago, the mansion interior didnt seem to follow the laws of physics.

The ceiling seemed to rise for an eternity with a staircase to match. Some of the archways bent and shrunk to various sizes and the walls were covered in doors.

"Pacifica!" Dipper called out, but he didnt get a response

He walked through the halls, continuing to call her name, but couldnt find any evidence of her presence here. After a while he decided to open a door.

The door was purple and wooden with a golden door knob. When he opened it, he saw the mystery shack floor room, but it was set up for a party. The lights were dimmed and colorful spotlights were shining everywhere. A crowd of people were shouting and laughing and Dipper remembered this as the party where he had made the clones of himself.

Just then, a young Pacifica took the stage and started singing. When it was over she confronted a young Mabel and seemed to do something that made her feel bad. Dipper inwardly laughed at how shallow she used to be and how far she had changed. He shut the door and continued to look around.

 _This must be Pacifica's head. Which means she should be here somewhere, right?_ he asked himself.

He continued to call out her name and check various doors. Untill he came across a plain wooden door that looked like it belonged in the Mystery shack as opposed to a mansion.

He opened the door and was surprised to see a young Pacifica sitting on her bed crying. She was much younger than when Dipper knew her.

Suddenly the door on the far side of the room opened and her father walked in, flanked by two servants. Her father stood by the door, while the servants moved to the bed.

"Please!...Im sorry..." Pacifica cried.

"Your apology means nothing. You need to learn that your a Northwest and must act like one!" Her father demanded sternly. One of the servants grabbed Pacifca by the arms while the other took out a cricket bat.

Dipper closed his eyes, knowing what came next, but he couldnt shut the door fast enough. He heard the crack of the bat and her shouts of pain, all the while, her father rang the small bell in his hand.

Dipper took a deep breath and tried to push those images out of his head. He decided not to open anymore doors and just call her name.

. . .

It felt like he had been wandering the endless halls for hours.

Dippper was wondering if he would ever find her or any of the others.

"Damn it." he said under his breath as he looked up at the staircase.

This was the fifth time he came to the stairs. Everytime he thinks he's in a new part of the house, he winds back up at the beginning. This time, he decides to go in reverse and turns around.

"Nooo! Please!" A voice carried through the halls. Dipper recognized it as Pacifica's.

"Pacifica!?" Dipper called. "Pacifica!"

"Please! Stop!" He could hear the pain in her voice and tried to push out the thought of her childhood. Without thinking, he took off after the voice.

He followed her voice back down the hall he had just come from. As he got further down, he came across a fork in the hall.

 _This is new._ He thought as he debated which hall to take.

"Please!" Her voice came. It echoed in from the left hall, and Dipper took off running.

As he ran down the hall, her cries seemed to sting within him. He wiped a tear from his face as he realised he wanted more than to just find her.

The hall continued for sometime, before ending in two glass doors. Dipper tried to open them, but they were locked. He was helpless to intervene.

On the otherside of the doors, was what looked like a yard with some gardens around the edge. In the center of the the yard he saw Pacifica tied to a chair. Her clothes were slightly torn and her head was downcasted with slack arms. She was facing away from him.

She seemed to be looking at a second Pacifica. This one looked to be the same age but was dressed up in her old clothes. She wore a green dress with matching high heeled shoes and large hoop earrings.

The fancy Pacifica was holding a lit torch and standing in front of a wooden pyre. When he looked closer he saw a figure tied to the pyre; it was him.

The fancy Pacifica let out a laugh and dropped the torch onto the pyre with a sinister grin. As the pyre caught fire, Dipper was shocked to hear his screams coming from the fire.

Suddenly, Pacifica started squirming in her chair. He let out a sigh of relief finding out she was still alive. He could tell she was cursing but couldnt make them out.

"Pacifica!" Dipper banged on the glasses but she couldnt hear him. Then he remembered the gun. Drawing it, he leveled it at the glass and fired. The glass shattered and he ran out into the yard.

The fancy Pacifica saw him and raised her hand. Suddenly, he ran into an invisible barrier. He tried punching and shooting the barrier but couldnt get through.

"Pacifica!" He called. She raised her head at his voice and squirmed in her chair. "Pacifica!" He called again.

This time the fancy Pacifica smiled widely and whispered something in her ear. The ropes, suddenly, broke and Pacifica ran to the smoldering body that laid in the, now extinguished, pyre.

She seemed to have been cradling the body and shouting at the other Pacifica.

"Pacifica!" Dipper shouted again. This time she turned around. Her eyes were faded and tears stained her face. She was looking at the fancy Pacifica, when her eyes met Dipper's.

Suddenly her face lit up with surprise and shock; then back to sorrow.

"Im afraid its too late for her." The fancy Pacifica said as she turned to Dipper. "You might as well get use to me from now on." She let out a hideous laughter filled with snobishness that made Dipper's blood boil.

"Pacifica. Its not too late. You can fight! Theres always a way!" Dipper told her. "We are in your mind. Your mind isnt going to go down easy. Look for a way!"

"Dont listen to him!" The fancy Pacifica said with anger and fear in her voice. "He cant help you now." She walked back over to Pacifica and bent down to face her. Suddenly, the pyre erupted into flames again and both Pacificas stood up.

"Pacifica! I know you can fight it...fight her! Stand up to her. Like you did your parents!" Dipper reminded her. She looked up at Dipper with a kind smile on her face.

Dipper didnt understand her expression and became scared as to what she will do.

She said something to the fancy Pacifica that he couldnt hear. Then, she reached out and grabbed her hoop earings with both hands. In one movement, she ripped the earings from her head and used her shoulder to slam into her.

Both Pacificas fell to the ground. The fancy Pacifica was trying to kick the other one off of her, but Pacifica's grip was too tight.

Then, Pacifica grabbed one of her feet and removed the high heeled shoe. Climbing on top of her, and holding the shoe with the heel pointed outward, she began to pummel it into her head.

Even from this distance, Dipper could see the blood splash and splatter around them. Then, with one last blow, the heel smashed through the skull and became embeded in her head.

Pacifica stood, breathing heavy, and watched as the other Pacifica faded into dust and was gone.

With the fancy Pacifica gone, the invisible barrier fell and Dipper ran to Pacifica. She turned to greet him and was met with a tight hug.

Rather than fight it, Pacifica put her head on his shoulder and began to cry. They stood there hugging in silence for a while before one of them spoke.

"I thought she killed you." Pacifica said. "I was so scared."

"Its alright now." Dipper soothed.

"No, its not. She tried to turn me into her. I couldnt do it, I couldnt go back." She continued to cry through her words. "I've worked to hard to change. Im not that person, I never want to be that person."

"I know." He said. "You are far from being like her. You left your parents and that lifestyle a long time ago."

"Thank you." She said, wiping away her tears and pushing away from his embrace.

"We..should probably get out of here." She said, trying to remove any presence of her tears.

"We will but first we still need to find Mabel and Stan." Dipper explained.

"Then lets go." she said with determination.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Dipper and Pacifica walked down the street. The fog, ever present, seemed to get thicker the closer they got to the Mystery Shack.

"This is...creepy." Pacifica said, indicating the fog.

"Yeah...but I think thats the point." Dipper answered.

"What do you mean?" She asked but Dipper shook his head and waved the question away.

"Doesnt matter." The further in they went, the harder it became to see.

"I think the shack is this w-" He said as he walked into a tree. Pacifica started to laugh before she stumbled over her own foot.

"We could be walking in circles for all we know." Pacifica said as she brushed the dirt from her clothes.

"We need to find a vantage point." Dipper said, as he tried to think of something. With no other options, he decided to climb the tree.

"What are you doing?" Pacifica asked.

"I'm gonna see if the tree extends beyond the fog." Dipper explained.

"Ok...just...dont take too long. I feel like I'm being watched." Dipper wanted to tell her that it was probably paranoia, but he too felt like he was being watched.

Dipper ascended the tree as fast as he could. The limbs would either be sticky or slippery, or far apart, making the climb much harder than it needed to be.

 _It would be nice if I could just fly like last time... but nooo. It has to be difficult._ Dipper complained to himself. He was starting to get tired when the fog started to thin.

"Do you see anything?" He heard Pacifica call up to him.

"Nothing yet." Dipper answered. He kept climbing, but the trunk was thining and he was afraid the tree wasnt tall enough.

Suddenly the fog ended. As he looked up, he realised he only had about five more feet of tree left. He let out a sigh of relief and took in his surroundings.

He had absolutely no idea where he was in relation to anything.

In the distance, he could see the top of the water tower and he could see the old minning bridge, sillhoutted against the setting sun, but he couldnt judge the distance to either.

"Dipper?" Pacifica called.

"I cant tell where we are." Dipper called back.

"Dipper?" She called again, this time with a bit of fear in her voice.

"What?" He called back.

"Dipper? This isnt funny. Where are you?" She asked.

"Im right here. Up the tree." He heaved a sigh at the climb back down, when he noticed something in the sky.

As the sun set, something pink was being illuminated by the moon light. When the sun completely set, he was filled with joy and fear at the sight before him. Above the bridge, a large pink ball, with a shooting star on the side, floated in the air.

"Mabel." He whispered to himself as he began climbing down. He made sure to keep track of which way the bridge was.

He dropped to the ground moments later.

"Dipper?" Pacifica called again.

"Im right here!" He said with a little annoyance. She jumped at his voice and spun around to see him. She wasnt happy.

"Dont, fucking, do that." She said, seething with fear and anger.

"Do what? I was answering your calls but you kept calling." he said. "I wasnt gone long." Her eyes lit up with anger.

"You were gone for hours. I thought you left me...or worse." As she added that last part, her voice lowered and her face became one of sadness and fear.

"Hours? I was gone for twenty minutes at most." He looked back up at the tree. "Unless this fog...or this world, distorts time?" He thought about it for a moment before pushing it out of his head.

"I think I found Mabel." He said. "This way." He began walking off in the direction of the bridge, with Pacifica right behind.

. . .

It was hours before they reached the foot of the cliff. Then it was a few more hours before they found the entrance to the mine. The fog made everything hard.

The mine was dark, but luckily Dipper was able to make a torch with some nearby materials. The fog was practically nonexistant in the mines and only cleared up the further in they went.

After some struggling, they were finally able to reach the top.

As they looked out over the highly unstable bridge, they saw Mabel's bubble floating just a few yards in front of them.

"Watch your step." Dipper said, as he began walking across the bridge.

The bridge was falling apart in some areas and they had to carefully balance their weight. After some time, they finally reached the bubble.

Stepping inside, Dipper wasnt surprised by what he saw; he was scared.

The bubble was almost exactly the same as it was before.

"Wow. This is...overwhelmingly bright." Pacifica said trying to adjust her eyes.

"This place is dangerous...hopefully not as much without Bill, but if its based on Mabel's memories...we should be careful." Dipper explained.

"Careful of what? Going blind? Or injuring ourselves on the ground made of cloth?" She said sarcastically.

"This place was meant to be a prison that nobody wants to leave. It was intended to simulate how you percieve perfection and conjure your greatest desires..." Dipper started to explain but stopped when he realised the entire city of Mabeland was deserted.

"...Something isnt right." He started walking cautiously.

"What was your first clue?" She asked sarcastically.

"Well for one...all the inanimate objects that are suppose to have a face, dont and this place should be loud with the sound of synthesized music and the inhabitants of Mabeland. I dont know if the quiet is reassuring or not." Dipper was truely nervous. Pacifica stopped being sarcastic and followed behind him.

They headed towards the center of town, where Mabel's tower stood. When they arrived, two waffle guards stood outside the door.

Dipper raised his gun and shot both in the head. The bullet went through them with ease and he realised he probably shouldnt waste ammo on waffles.

The two guards turned to ash when they were shot, but their spears were left behind. Picking them up, Dipper handed one to Pacifica and he saw the confused look on her.

"This is Mabel's nightmare...her mansion. We need to be prepared for anything." Dipper explained. Pacifica nodded in understanding and took the spear with the confidence of a veteran fighter.

They entered, expecting a fight, but no guards showed up. They climbed the stairs to the top of the tower and opened the doors. As they tried to step in, an invisible barrier appeared in the doorway, stopping them.

Dipper looked inside to see Mabel on her knees crying with another Mabel standing in front of her.

"Mabel!" Dipper called. Mabel looked up at them. Her face was stained with tears.

"Dipper?" The other Mabel turned around when she called his name. Dipper was surpised, though he shouldnt have been, to see an older Mabel. She wasnt too much older, but enough to be noticeable.

"See how he tries to 'rescue' you again." She snickered. "All they care about is themselves."

"Mabel. You have to fight it. She isnt real. None of this is real..."

"I know." Mabel said, cutting Dipper off. This took Dipper by surprised.

"Then fight back. Use those...Mabel?" Dipper looked down and saw the pair of scissors in front of her.

"Im sorry." She said as she picked up the scissors.

"Typical." Pacifica said. Everyone went quiet and looked at her. "Little miss attention needs more." She mocked. Dipper was surprised by what she was saying.

"You and your colors and sweaters. You try and butt into other peoples lives with those big smiles. Miss 'loving' family. What do you know of a hard life."

"Says the rich girl with a mansion of servants." The older Mabel said.

"Yeah I was rich." Pacifica said. " But do you know what its like to cry yourself to sleep, afraid of your own parents. To have the pressure of perfection expected of you with no room for error."

"But you had everything you could have ever wanted." Older Mabel said turning to give Pacifica he full attention. "Anything you wanted and daddy would buy it for you."

"Yeah, I got what I wanted. So long as it was acceptable for a Northwest to own. 'You want to play minigolf? Well heres a professional to teach you. You want to ride a horse? Heres five and an instructor.'..."

"Sounds pretty good to me." The older Mabel laughed.

"But it was never fun. While I wanted to have fun, they would sign me up for competions and expect me to win everytime." Pacifica said. "They wouldnt even show up. They just expected a win out of me. Anything less..." Pacifica trailed off without finishing. Dipper watched as tears ran down her face. "If anyone should be in there, its me."

"That can be arranged." A voice said from behind them. They turned around to see the fancy Pacifica standing there without a scratch on her.

Dipper instictively raised his gun, but with a wave of her hand, it, and the spear, faded away. Suddenly, arms appeared out of the walls and held Dipper back.

"Let go of me!" He shouted, but he was ignored.

Pacifica raised her spear at her counter part, but it dissolved in her hands.

"I-I killed you." Pacifica said.

"Oh hon. You cant kill me. I'll always be somewhere inside you." The fancy Pacifica mocked.

As if the realization was a punch to the gut, Pacifica fell to the ground in surprise. Fancy Pacifica walked over and picked her up by the neck.

Dipper could see the tears running down her face as she struggled to breathe.

"Let go of her!" Dipper said.

"Or what?" She turned her head to give him an evil smile.

"Or this!" A voice shouted. Suddenly, a pair of scissors flew through the air and embeded themselves in her shoulder. She dropped Pacifica, who then used the opportunity to grab the scissors.

She jumped on her counter part and began stabbing her violently and repeatedly. Blood splattered everywhere and Dipper could see the tears, still running down her face.

Suddenly, the arms holding him in place disappeared, and he ran over to Pacifica.

The fancy Pacifica was gone and she was continuing to stab the ground in a fit of rage. Dipper hugged her and tried to get her to stop. After some resistance, she stopped and began to cry into his shoulder.

Mabel walked up to them. The room behind her empty of anything living. She joined the hug and began crying as well. Dipper was physically overwhelmed by both girls but managed to support them while they cried.

After sometime, they stopped and all three stood.

"Thank you...for coming to rescue me." Mabel said.

"Of course." Pacifica blushed, a little embarrassed by what she had said.

"Your my sister. I'll always be there for you." Dipper gave her a quick hug before walking towards the stairs.

"Now we need to find Stan." Pacifica and Mabel both nodded and the three of them left Mabeland, for good.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

"Where do you think Stan is?" Mabel asked.

"The shack. Its the only logical answer." Dipper explained.

They stood at the edge of the cliff, over looking Gravity Falls. The mid day sun, lit up the valley, but still the fog blanketed most of the town.

On the far side of the valley, the fog was receding but not by much. The lake and the edge of town were partially visible.

"Where do you think the shack is?" Mabel asked.

"Over there." Pacifica said, pointing to what appeared to be the densest part of the fog.

"How can you be sure?" Dipper asked.

"Well if the water tower is there...and the lake is over there...then the shack should be in that area over there." She explained. Dipper looked at the points with confusion but trusted her judgement.

"Well, I guess it has been a while...and we arent used to looking at Gravity Falls from the air." Mabel said. Dipper agreed and they followed Pacifica down the cliff.

As they desended into the valley, the fog got thicker. They walked slowly, making sure to avoid trees while maintaining their sense of direction. The fog was thick enough to block the light from the sun.

"Are we almost th-" Mabel stopped talking when a white light appeared in the fog.

"What is that?" Pacifica asked. She slowed down to a near stop but kept moving forward.

"I dont know, but its worth investigating." Dipper said as he took the lead and led them towards the light.

As they walked forward, the light continued to get brighter until it was blinding. Afraid of getting separated, they stopped walking. Soon, their eyes adjusted to the light and they realised the fog was gone. They stood in a white void. There were no trees or dirt or Gravity Falls.

"Where are we?"Pacifica asked. Her voice echoed through the white void.

Dipper turned around to see the Mystery Shack sitting peacefully in the nothingness.

"The Shack!" Mabel said as her gaze followed Dipper's. The three of them walked to the back door and stepped inside.

Dipper and Mabel were expecting to find the same confusing layout the last time they were in Stan's head but were surprised to find themselves in Ford's lab.

"What is this place?" Pacifica asked as they looked around.

"Ford's lab." Dipper answered as he looked up at the large portal.

"Stan!" Mabel shouted as she ran to the center of the room. The others followed and they found Stan lying on the ground, but he was different.

"He looks so young." Pacifica pointed out. Stan was indeed much younger than they new him to be.

Suddenly he stood up.

"Stan!" Mabel said but he ignored her. "Stan?" Mabel asked again. She tried to touch him, but her hand went right through him.

Suddenly, another Stan appeared across from him. He was dressed in a sweater vest and a tan duster.

"Ford?" Mabel asked.

"Ok. Im officially confused." Pacifica said.

"I think we're watching his memory. The one thats playing on a loop. We need to get his attention somehow." Dipper explained.

"How? We cant touch him." Mabel said.

Dipper didnt answer. Instead he watched as the memory unfolded.

Stan lurched forward and began fighting Ford. Fists were thrown and they shoved each other around. After a short brawl, Ford flew into the portal. Stan fell to his knees crying and suddenly he disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Mabel asked.

"Over here." Pacifica said. Dipper and Mabel turned to see Stan doing something at one of the control panels before disappearing again.

Stan reappeared by the fuel tanks and then disappeared again. He continued to do this for awhile; disappearing and reappearing in a different area, getting older with each appearance.

"I think this is a timelapse of his activities over the years; trying to reactivate the portal." Dipper said as he examined one of the control panels. It seemed to age and change along with Stan.

Stan appeared by the main control stick and activated the portal. He was old now and seemed to stand there without disappearing.

"Well, Well, Well. Look what we have here."

 _That voice!_ Dipper thought as dread filled all three of them.

Suddenly a large Bill Cipher appeared from the portal. He held a golden Ford in one hand and a young Dipper and Mabel in the other.

"This is all because of you, Stanley." Bill said. As Bill laughed, the young Dipper and Mabel turned to stone and Stan fell to his knees crying.

"Stan!" Mabel shouted as she ran to him.

"Mabel, no!" Dipper shouted as he looked up at Bill. He expected him to take notice of them but instead he seemed to freeze. Dipper looked around and noticed that even the shimmers of the portal were frozen in place.

Dipper followed Mabel to Stan's side. As she reached out and touched his shoulder, he turned and looked at them.

"Kids!?" he said through tear stained eyes.

Suddenly there was a flash and everything went back to when they first arrived. A young Stan stood in the center of the room facing a young Ford and the memory played itself over again.

"That was weird." Pacifica said as she came out from behind a large rock. Dipper had noticed that she had disappeared when Bill arrived but didnt know where to.

"He saw us." Mabel said. " Right before the flash. I could touch him and he saw us."

"That must be the point in the cycle when it restarts. Its probably the only time when we can communicate with him." Dipper explained.

"So we have to wait for the memory to repeat itself everytime?" Mabel asked. Dipper nodded and they waited.

After a few minutes they were back to the confrontation with Bill.

Even though he knew it was fake, seeing Bill still freaked Dipper out.

Noticing everything freeze, Dipper wasted no time in grabbing Stan by the shoulders.

"Stan! You have to wake up. This isnt real. This is all fake." Dipper shouted into his face.

"Dipper?" He asked, confused. Then there was a flash of light and it reset again.

"Damn it." Dipper said under his breath.

"Well what do we do know?" Pacifica asked.

"I dont know." Dipper replied. He walked over to the memory Stan and waved his hand through his body.

"If only there was a way to remove him from the memory." Mabel pointed out.

"Thats it!" Dipper exclaimed. "What if we physically move him ourselves?"

Pacifica and Mabel both looked back and forth from Stan's body to the door.

"Do you think we could make it?" Pacifica asked. Dipper didnt respond. He, too, was skeptical of their strength and speed in this manner.

"Do we have any other ideas?" He asked. They shook their heads. "Then its settled." He continued.

They gathered around where his body would appear and prepared to grab him.

Stan fell to his knees crying and Dipper grabbed him from behind.

"Now!" He shouted and the girls each grabbed a leg. They carried him as fast as they could towards the door. The seconds ticked by like hours and the distance still seemed too far.

"Just a bit further." Dipper called.

"Whats going on!" Stan cried out as he struggled against them.

"Just calm down...your throwing of my balance." Pacifica said.

"Let go!" Stan said and he kicked Pacifica in the chest.

She let go and reeled back. This caused a shift in weight distribution forcing Mabel to drop the leg she was carrying. This caused Dipper to stop moving.

"Damn it Stan. We're trying to he-" Dipper started to say but was stopped by a blinding light. As if with one mind, the three grabbed Stan and pulled as hard as they could towards the door.

The blinding light grew brighter until they couldn't see. Then, all they could see was white. No lab. No portal. No shack.

They looked around. They were back in the white void but this time Stan was laying between them.

He sat up and rubbed his head.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"We're inside, what I can only assume is the dreamscape...or at least one that connects all of our minds." Dipper answered.

Stan looked up at him and was about to say something but stopped. He started to faded away, and then there was nothing.

"Stan!" Dipper called out but couldnt grab him in time.

"Dipper?" Dipper turned to see Mabel fading as well and then Pacifica.

"Whats happening?" Pacifica asked as she faded away.

Dipper reached out to grab her, but was too late. It was then, he noticed that he, too, was fading. The white of the void became over whelming. He shut his eyes and hoped it would end.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

Dipper opened his eyes to find himself staring at the ceiling. He was able to sit up, despite his weak muscles.

"Careful. Not too fast." A voice said.

Dipper turned to see Ford walking over to him. As his head cleared, Dipper took in his surroundings.

He was in his bed with the covers pulled tight and an I.V. sticking out of his arm. Looking around, he saw Mabel and Pacifica in similar situations.

They were in Dipper and Mabel's room with Pacifica on a cot. Dipper then realised they all had wires coming from their heads. He reached up to remove them.

"Let me." Ford said as he reached out and carefully removed the sensors and pulled the I.V. from his arm. As he did, the others began to stir and sit up.

"Why is there an I.V.?" Dipper asked. His throat was dry and his voice was raspy.

"You've been out for four days." Ford explained as he unhooked the others.

"Four days? It couldnt have been more than a day. Twenty hours at most." Dipper said confused.

"Eighty seven hours and thirty three minutes since you casted your spell." McGucket said as he entered the room. "The mind operates at a different speed than what we might consider time; like a dream. You could dream of a moment or a week in the time of a single night and vise versa."

"Well that explains why I'm so hungry." Mabel said.

"How's Stan?" Dipper asked as he recalled what had happened.

"He just woke up in his room." Ford explained. "What happened in there? There were moments when your neurons went crazy."

Dipper looked at the others as they mentally recalled what had happened. Pacifica looked down at her lap and Mabel gave him a sad expression. Dipper thought he saw something on Pacifica's face, but it was gone in an instant.

"It...its complicated." Dipper began. "We were in a weird version of the town with a heavy fog. It took us a while to find Stan's mind." Dipper was hesitant but decided it was best to explain while keeping some things private.

"And what about Stanley? Was it...Him?" Ford asked. Dipper shook his head.

"No. Just a memory loop of a false memory." Suddenly Dipper's stomach let out a low grumble and he felt just how weak his body was.

"I'll have dinner ready soon. You all should give your muscles a stretch." Ford said as he left with McGucket.

Dipper swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. As his feet touched the ground, his knees buckled a little but held and he tentively walked around the room and back to his bed.

The other two stood and paced back and forth for a bit. Pacifica sat back down but Mabel kept standing.

"Soo...That was crazy." Pacifica said after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah." Mabel said.

Dipper bent his fingers and flipped his wrist. Suddenly a glowing ball of light appeared above his palm. He let out a sigh of relief and dissbanded the spell.

Dipper looked at the others. All three of them were stastaring at each other but none spoke.

"Dinner!" Ford called from downstairs, and the three of them headed downstairs with little difficulty.

. . .

The rest of the evening held a silent and slightly awkward dinner. Stan didnt appear to have any memory of what had transpired inside his head, including the memory he was stuck in.

Afterwards, McGucket went home and everyone went to bed. Dipper had a hard time going to sleep but eventually the exhaustion took over.

"Well, Well, Well!"

Dipper sat up in bed and looked around. He was sweating and fear overtook him as he realised Mabel wasnt in her bed.

"Mabel?" Dipper called softly, but there was no response.

Dipper got out of bed and suddenly found himself standing in an empty field. The grass brushed against his bare feet.

He looked down and saw he was holding one of the journals, but this one had a new number: "4".

"I got to hand it to ya, Pinetree. You really fucked up this time."

Dipper looked up as he supressed the chill that ran up and down his spine.

The sky was on fire and a giant X-shaped portal floated in the air. Dipper could hear the cackling of laughter from many unseen beings.

A giant shadow grew across the land and covered everything in darkness.

Once his eyes had adjusted, he saw the bearer of the shadow. A giant yellow triangle, wearing a black top hat and bow tie, floated in the air.

Dipper was scared. He tried to turn and run, but he couldnt move. Looking down, he saw his legs had turned to stone.

"You know...I thought Fordsy or shooting star would be the one to screw things up, again...but I guess you proved me wrong." Bill said with a laugh.

"You're suppose to be dead!?" Dipper said, once he found his courage.

"I was...until somebody got a little too curious for his own good. But dont worry. I'll make sure to commemorate what you've done with your very own statue..." He laughed and suddenly the petrification of his legs spread to his mid torso. "If you get my meaning."

Dipper was scared and as his nervousness came back, he dropped the journal. As the journal hit the ground, it burst into blue flames that grew until it consumed the field around him.

Once the grass had burnt up, the flames died down to reveal a cracked earth. The ground fractured in some places with a darkness that could swallow the sun.

As Dipper looked around, he saw bodies laying dead all throughout the field. He saw the townsfolk, his parents, his friends; everyone.

In front of the pile of bodies he saw the two Stans lying dead and covered in blood. Beside them lay Mabel, Pacifica, Wendy and Soos, also covered in bruises and blood. Their bodies appeared slightly burned and their clothes torn. Dipper wiped the tears from his face.

"Make sure to say high to fordsy for me." Bill said. The rest of Dipper's body began to turn to stone.

It spread up his body rapidly. He lost feeling in his arms and neck and eventually he could feel the cold petrification crawl across his face. As it engulfed his mouth, he began to suffocate.

As Dipper struggled to breathe, his vision began to fade. With his life slipping away, the last thing he heard before the darkness was Bill's laughter echoing in the void of his mind.

. . .

Dipper sat up in his bed, sweating and quickly looked around the room. Sun light was starting to creep through the window.

Mabel rolled over in her sleep and pushed Tiny onto the ground, who landed with a squeel and ran to a pile of her clothes.

Dipper let out a sigh and brought his heart rate and breathing under control.

He got out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and walked downstairs. He could smell something cooking from the kitchen as he walked into the bathroom.

Dipper got into shower and let the hot water rush over him. He splashed some water onto his face as he tried to push the dream out of his head.

He opened his eyes and the water had turned a crimson red. The red water splashed off of his body and felt like warm blood. He blinked and it was back to normal.

Startled, but not surprised, he finished his shower and got out. After getting dressed, he wiped the condensation from the mirror and stared at his reflection.

 _"One will need to take priority...over the other"_ Dipper heard the shapeshifter's voice in the back of his head.

He was suddenly filled with an overwhelming amount of anger and frustration. Reflexively, he swung his fist into the mirror. It shattered upon impact and glass shards fell everywhere.

 _Fuck Bill and fuck you too!_ He thought to himself.

As he brought his hand back, he saw pieces of glass embeded in his skin and blood dripped from each cut. A thin layer of blood was smeared on the glass that remained on the wall.

"What happened?"

Dipper turned to see Pacifica standing there in her night gown. She had a worried look on her face. He tried to give a reasuring smile, but her expression didnt change.

"Its nothing." He said, holding up his hand. She quickly moved closer to look at his hand. As she touched it, he flinched and she took a step back.

"Sit down." She said as she gently pushed him back. Dipper was about to question her, but she gave a look that said 'do as I say', so he sat down on the toilet.

She opened up the cupboard and pulled out a medkit. Opening it, she pulled out a pair of tweezers and began pulling the glass out of his fist.

Dipper was going to protest, but the pain of the glass being pulled, forced him to bite his lip.

When she was done, she pulled out some rubbing alcohol and poured a little onto his cuts. He clenched his fist and tensed his muscles in pain, but kept his mouth shut.

After she cleaned the wound, she took out some gauze and began wrapping his hand.

"Thanks." Dipper said as the pain passed.

"You should be more careful." She said calmly.

"Will do." Dipper said sarcastically, but was met with a stinging sensation as she pulled the gauze tighter at his remark. Dipper stopped talking after that.

When she was done she stood there, with her hand resting on his.

"You know, you didnt have to." Dipper said, but she didnt give any sign of hearing him. She continued to stand there, unmoving.

Dipper stood next to her and turned her so as to look her in the eye. He was surprised to see tears on her face. Their eyes met for a moment before she reached up and began wiping the tears from her eyes.

"What are you staring at, lose..." Dipper leaned in and kissed her. She was startled but didnt break the kiss. After a moment, she began kissing him back.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her as the passion of the kiss intensified. He didnt care that he was blushing. He let himself sink into the moment and into the sensation of the kiss.

Without breaking contact, she pushed him back until he sat on the toilet. She then straddled his lap and ran her fingers through his hair as they gasped for breath before resuming.

The softness of her silk night gown against his hands added to the pleasure, as he ran his hands up and down her back.

Suddenly the door swung open and the two turned to see Stan standing there. He was in a tank top and boxers, and carried a newspaper under one arm. He held his cane in the other hand, but seemed to be using it for support rather than image.

"I'll...uh...use the other bathroom." He said as he turned and walked away.

Dipper and Pacifica looked at each other and started laughing. They put their foreheads together and continued to laugh for a moment before Dipper's stomach growled.

Pacifica stood up, smiling, and grabbed his good hand before leading him into the kitchen.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

Ford had attempted to make pancakes for breakfast in Stanley's place but found the task hard. However, the food was edible and everyone ate their fill.

After breakfast, Dipper sat on the couch and watched tv.

"...come back to Head Talks, with your host: the wax head of Larry King; Only on the weirdness channel." The tv spoke, as Dipper turned it on.

The picture on the screen changed to that of a talk show. A desk sat off to the side with Larry King's head on it. The chair next to the desk was filled by multibear. The back drop was a large map of Gravity Falls.

"So. How does it feel to be one of the judges in this year's talent show?" Larry King asked.

"It really is an honor." Multibear said. "I'm really excited to be part of such an important part of the show."

"And I hear theres going to be a lot of great talent this year, is that right?" Larry King took a sip from a nearby cup with a twisty straw sticking out.

"Yes it is. We're going to see many great acts from all over Gravity Falls, including town favorite: Pacifica Northwest." Multibear said.

Just then, Pacifica walked into the room, dressed in tight jeans and a purple blouse. She walked over to the couch and sat next to Dipper. She slightly leaned against his shoulder.

Taking the hint, he put his arm around her and she snuggled up next to him. Dipper blushed as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"So...what's this talent show?" Dipper asked. She looked up at him and he blushed again when he thought about how cute she looked. It took him a moment to see the confused look on her face.

"The Gravity Falls freedom festival talent show? We all talked about it when you guys arrived." She explained.

"I dont remember..." He looked away slightly embarrassed about how much he must have tuned out when he arrived.

"Ugh...of course you dont. The Gravity Falls freedom festival is an annual celebration of the town's... liberation, all those years ago. There is a public celebration for the tourists during the day and a night celebration for residents only that include the magical creatures of Gravity Falls. The talent show is part of the night celebration." She explained.

"That sounds like fun...but whats to stop tourists from going to the night one." Dipper asked. She glared at him.

"You really werent listening were you? Gideon's Gang handles tourist control. They make sure that the mysterious and magical part of the town stays secret. Supposedly they have a device that erases memories..."

"Wait. Gideon has a gang?" Dipper tried not to laugh.

"Yeah. Their actually called Gideon's Gang...if you can believe it. A bunch of muscled freaks from prison that seem to worship Gideon." This time Dipper didnt stop himself from laughing.

"...and how do you feel about the late entry to the talent show: Mabel Pines." Larry King said. Dipper stopped laughing and turned his attention back to the tv.

"I'm sure I can speak for everyone, when I say that its good to finally see the Pines kids again. As for Mabel's entry, I'm sure its going to be a pleasant treat to watch." Multibear said.

"Mabel entered?" Dipper asked. Pacifica shrugged.

"Of course I did!" Mabel nearly shouted as she walked into the room.

Pacifica almost jumped out of the couch when Mabel walked in. Mabel sat next to Dipper without so much as a comment about them. Dipper was fine with not pushing for a response.

"I'm also gonna help Soos set up for the night festival." She said with a smile as she started changing the channels.

"I'll help too...So...when is the festival?" Dipper asked.

"Tomorrow." Mabel responded. "It's suppose to be big...especially now that I'm here." She said with a huge grin.

"We'll see about that." Pacifica said.

They heard the door open and close as they continued to watch tv.

"Dudes! I'm so glad your alright." Soos said as he walked in. He was dressed in a suit and wore the signiture fez on his head. "Mabel, Ford said you were good to help out today. You up for it?"

"Of course, and Dipper said he would help too." She responded.

"Thats great dude." Soos said. "We're setting up in the old fair ground. Just come out when your ready."

"You bet!" Mabel said.

"Soos!" Someone called from the gift shop.

"Well, I gotta go. I'll see you around, dudes." he said and left.

"I should go to. I have some things I need to do before my shift." Pacifica said as she stood to leave. "I'll see you guys later."

"See ya." Mabel said. Dipper smiled and nodded as she left the room.

"You could do worse." Mabel said without taking her eyes off of the tv.

"What?" Dipper said.

"Pacifica. I doubt you could get anyone better than her." She said with a coy smile.

"Its not like that." He said defiantly.

"Oh really?" Her smile curled into a devilish grin that sent a shiver down Dipper's spine. He knew this was only the beginning with her.

"Whatever." Dipper said with a slight blush. After a few minutes of silence, Mabel turned the tv off with a sigh.

"Guess we should go help set up, not much else to do right now." She said as she stood up.

"Yeah." Dipper said as he followed her out the door.

. . .

The fairgrounds were nothing more than an empty field out in the woods. Stan used it as grounds for his carnival scheme but it has since been used for the night festival.

Soos was over seeing the construction of the stage when Dipper and Mabel arrived. The stage was large and the center of the festival. There were rides around the edge of the fairgrounds, which included a Ferris wheel, and a plaza for food venders off to the side.

"Hey Soos!" Mabel screamed over the noise of construction equipment. Soos turned and started walking to them.

"Hey guys. I'm glad your here. I dont really have anything specific for you guys to do. Just find someone and try to help." He said.

"On it." Mabel said with unwarranted enthusiasm. She ran off behind the stage.

"Alright." Dipper said and he started walking around.

The area was full of bustling people and creatures. Dipper looked over to see a weird crane being used to move a ride. The name 'McGucket' was printed on the side.

"Move it." A voice said before Dipper was suddenly pushed aside by a line of gnomes carrying a large sign.

As Dipper walked around, he saw a few manotaurs lifting some heavy equipment and a bunch of humans were setting up a few game booths.

"Well, look whos here to help." A voice said. Dipper turned around to see Gideon. He was wearing light blue slacks and a matching vest over a black dress shirt.

"Hey Gideon." Dipper said, a little disconected.

"Something the bother?" Gideon asked.

"Nah." Dipper responded. "Its nice to see everyone working together; its just taking me a bit to take it all in."

"Yeah. A lots changed since the last time you were here. We've been working hard to make this town a peaceful place for all to live in harmony." Gideon walked with Dipper around the fairgrounds. They eventually came to sit at one of the picnic tables.

"Do you ever wonder if there's more to Gravity Falls?" Dipper asked.

"Sometimes I like to wonder. Working with Stanford is really interesting." Gideon said.

"Yeah...but...I dont know. I feel like this town has become too peaceful." Dipper said. "All of my memories of that summer...the good ones anyway...seemed to be of uncovering the mysteries. Searching for the other journals, who the author was, how to defeat Bill...I feel like that sense of adventure is gone."

"I know what you mean. Remember, I spent my time searching for the journals too." Gideon said with a chuckle. "But it should be a good thing. Bill is gone. The danger has passed. There may not be any big mysteries, but there is still plenty to learn."

"Yeah. I guess your right." Dipper said with a weak smile. "New town, new chapter, new start."

"Thats the spirit." Gideon said. "Speaking of...is Mabel...seeing anyone?" Dipper rolled his eyes.

"Seriously?" Dipper asked.

"Very much so. She has remained in my heart ever since." Gideon said.

"I, dont think she feels the same." Dipper said, but Gideon only chuckled.

"She didnt like me to begin with...but I've changed and ready to show her how much. I just want to know if it'll be worth it." he said. Dipper let out a sigh.

"No. Shes not seeing anyone. Not that I know of anyway." Gideon smiled and Dipper smiled back as he remembered all of the stupid things Gideon use to do for Mabel.

Just then, Gideon's phone started ringing.

"Hello?" He asked into the phone. "Alright. I'll be right there." He hung up and stood to leave. "Well, I gotta go, but it was nice talkin to ya."

"Likewise." Dipper said as he left. Dipper sat there for a few more minutes before heading off to find some work.


End file.
